How To Style Barrel Leg Trousers, Whatever Your Height
Not all barrel trousers are created equal. Here's how to style Uniqlo's viral pair for your height, and why length, not size, is what makes the shape work.
There are some trends you can tell almost on sight are going to split a room, and barrel trousers are one of them. Watch anyone try their first pair in a changing room and you'll see the same little routine: the hopeful pull-on, the turn to the side, the pause, and then the quiet verdict that they "just don't suit me". Back on the hanger they go, and the whole trend gets written off with them.
But here's what I think: most women aren't rejecting barrel trousers, they're rejecting the first pair they happened to try on. Trying one oversized barrel jean and deciding the whole trend isn't for you is a bit like going on one bad date and deleting Hinge. The shape behaves completely differently depending on how tall you are: a pair that's perfect on your 5'9" friend can swallow a petite frame whole, and a neat cropped pair that looks sharp on you can read as unfinished on someone taller.
So what if I told you there might just be a holy grail version that looks good on everyone? Enter: Uniqlo's Jersey Barrel Leg Trousers. Upon getting all 5ft 8 of me into this pair, suddenly I understood why this particular style has become so viral. Firstly, they come in more than one length, so the barrel lands where it's meant to whoever's wearing them, and that single decision is what makes them the rare pair that genuinely suits everybody. The shape, too, has the goldilocks effect - not too straight to cling to fuller thighs, not too exaggerated to make you look wider than you are. They are, quite simply, just right. Uniqlo, as usual, just gets it. Around them sits a small family of other barrel styles, in different fabrics and volumes, there for when you want to go further.
Here's where I'd start, whichever end of the tape measure you're on.
If You're Petite
If you're petite, the mistake is almost always the same: you reach for the biggest, baggiest barrel because that's the one all over your feed, and it's the quickest route to deciding the trend isn't for you. Start with the hero instead. Uniqlo's Jersey Barrel Leg Trousers come in a short length made exactly for this, so the barrel tapers and finishes at the ankle rather than pooling over your trainers, which is precisely where a petite frame wants it. Wear them with a low-profile shoe that shows a little foot - like a pointed flat, pump or a low mule - and cropped vest or tee, again to expose a little skin to lengthen rather than shorten you. You can then add a slouchier layer over the top for warmth and balance. If you want the crop built in even more firmly, the Uniqlo Barrel Ankle Trousers do the same job by design - deliberately cut nice and short on the shin, which is more likely to land around the ankle on you.
If You're Tall
The obvious advice for tall women is to buy the longer length, and you should. Uniqlo's Jersey Barrel Leg Trousers come in a length made for anyone 5'7" and over, and on a tall frame that means the curve of the leg sits at the right point on the body (the most flattering one). But height is also a licence to go further. The Baggy Barrel Leg Jeans take the shape into slouchy 90s territory with real curve through the leg; the Baggy Curve Jeans push it bolder still, for when you want your denim to be the whole outfit. With cold weather lurking around the corner, the Brushed Jersey Barrel Leg Trousers do the hero's job in a warmer fabric once it turns brisk.
When it comes to the shoes, a barrel this generous will just swallow a dainty sandal whole. You want a shoe with enough presence to anchor all that fabric, so think a chunky loafer, a proper trainer with a bit of body to it, Adidas Sambas or a New Balance, or once autumn lands, an ankle or knee boot the hem can sit cleanly over. The real trick is letting just enough of the shoe show beneath the break. On top, if you do want the big-shirt-big-trouser moment, at this height you can absolutely get away with it - just put a waist back in somewhere with a tuck, a cardigan unbuttoned to the middle, or just a belt.
If You're Somewhere In Between
If you're between 5'4" and 5'7", congratulations: you've won the barrel lottery without buying a ticket. The pair to prove it is the one that started all this, the original Uniqlo Jersey Barrel Leg Trousers in the regular length. They land right at your ankle straight off the peg, no hemming, no standing in the changing room wondering if you've sized wrong, which is half the reason they've become the everyday trouser so many of us now reach for instead of our jeans. They also do the most: a fitted tee and a mule to sharpen them up, a chunky loafer and a big shirt to slouch them down, Sambas for the school run, a fine knit and a heel for dinner. I own them in two colours, which I'm choosing to read as commitment rather than a problem. And at £29.90 in the brand's back-to-school event right now, they're the cheapest possible way to find out the trend was for you all along.